I love this post, because it describes why Winter has always been my favorite season. It is associated with so many things that make me feel whole–this is especially true when the winter is cold, snowy, and dark…but is that any excuse to let go of that wonderful feeling when the weather doesn’t cooperate? Of course not. I am the master of my perspective and I can have my spiritual winter despite climate change, dammit!

In the “old days,”
which, now,
aren’t so long ago,
we prepared for winter,
settled in to winter,
enjoyed coming in,
reading,
sitting by the fire,
cracking pecans,
playing dominoes,
even bundling up
and tending to animals
in blizzard conditions.
The snow and wind
(not so welcome, the ice)
were expected
and broke the monotony
of one cold day
following another.
After the snow,
we enjoyed getting back
to winter’s monotony;
settling back in.

Unlike other parts of the U.S.,
here,
these winters
are not monotonous
enough.
They’re not cold enough
to have to settle into.
Temperatures are warmer,
luring us
outside
where it feels like
we could do the things of spring.
But not yet.
It leaves one uneasy,
unable
to settle.

So today
I’m trying to remember
how to settle into winter,
even if there isn’t much of one.
We are waiting for our first snow today, hoping…